Infants wearable blanket with double ended zipper

ABSTRACT

A wearable blanket for covering the legs and torso of an infant includes a sheath of generally planar textile material configured to envelope the infant in a bag-like manner. The sheath defines a head opening including a zipper portion extending from substantially a foot end of the sheath to a head end of the sheath and at the head end of the sheath, the head opening is bordered by a collar configured to encircle a neck of the infant. The sheath defines right and left arm holes. A double ended zipper extends along an edge of the head opening over the zipper portion such that when the zipper is in a fully closed position it draws opposing ends of the collar together.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a utility application claiming priority from thatprovisional application of the same title and having an application Ser.No. 61/121,855 having been filed on Dec. 11, 2008. Reference to theprovisional here is intended to incorporate the whole of thatprovisional as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to children's clothing and, morespecifically, to clothing for infants and toddlers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Since the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published its laststatement on SIDS in 2006, it has been unequivocal in stressing the needto avoid redundant soft bedding and soft objects in the infant'ssleeping environment. In 1944, Abramson reported that approximately 40%of infants in New York City dying suddenly and unexpectedly during sleepwere prone, with their nose and mouth burrowed into “soft pillows,mattresses, or mattress coverings.” Early reports from the New ZealandCot Death study suggested that a majority of infants dying prone were onsheepskins.

A strong interaction was found between prone sleep position and softbedding surface, indicating that these two factors together are veryhazardous. Soft surfaces have also been implicated in infant deathsoccurring on adult beds. A case-control study from the United States hasconfirmed the strong association of SIDS and using soft bedding orpillows, independent of prone sleep position. The Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, one of theNational Institutes of Health, promulgates the following advice, “Placeyour baby on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved cribmattress, covered by a fitted sheet. Never place your baby to sleep onpillows, quilts, sheepskins, or other soft surfaces.” The AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics stresses substantially the same point, “Keeppillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, and stuffed toys out of yourbaby's crib. They can cover your infant's face—even if she is lying onher back.”

A wearable blanket that cannot be moved to cover the nose and mouth ofinfants would have great utility as a substitute for softbedding—allowing the infant to sleep on a mattress without the aid ofsoft bedding, blankets and especially loose blankets. Such garmentsuniformly, however, have the additional shortcoming that to changediaper on the infant, or to check the diaper on the infant, it is either(i) necessary to disrobe the infant or expose the torso of the infant,or (ii) the garment is difficult use to place the baby in the garment.These disadvantages are heightened when the infant is asleep or drowsyand the caregiver does not want to wake the baby. What is needed in theart is a wearable blanket that can substitute for a loose blanket towarm an infant and, yet, allow diapers to be changed without fullydisrobing the infant and exposing the torso, and still be easy to placethe baby in the wearable blanket. Furthermore, it is important that thewearable blanket is safe and the baby cannot escape from the wearableblanket by unfastening or unzipping the garment and create a safety riskconsistent with a loose blanket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A wearable blanket for covering the legs and torso of an infant includesa sheath of generally planar textile material configured to envelope theinfant in a bag-like manner. The sheath defines a head opening includinga zipper portion extending from substantially a foot end of the sheathto a head end of the sheath and at the head end of the sheath; the headopening is bordered by a collar configured to encircle a neck of theinfant. The sheath defines right and left arm holes. A double endedzipper extends along an edge of the head opening over the zipper portionsuch that when the zipper is in a fully closed position it drawsopposing ends of the collar together.

The insulating sheath may be made up of any commonly used textileproduct that suitably insulates the infant from the temperature of airambient to the infant so as to provide a thermal environment inside ofthe sheath to allow the infant to safely and comfortably sleep withoutrisking hypothermia or hyperthermia. Examples of such textile productsthat would be suitable include flannel, fleece, felt, knit, quiltedfabric, poplin, wool, muslin, and corduroy including cotton, polyester,viscose rayon materials.

This wearable blanket is configured in a preferred and exemplaryembodiment to have the sheath define a collar to accommodate a head ofthe infant. Arm holes and accommodate a right arm and a left arm. Inother embodiments, other collars as well as sleeves, half-sleeves, orenclosed arm warmers are readily substituted for the arm holes withoutimpairing the function and utility of the inventive sleep garment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention aredescribed in detail below with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an inventive garment with a double-ended zipperin the closed position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the inventive garment with the double-endedzipper being half opened from a head end; and,

FIG. 3 is a side view of the inventive garment with the double-endedzipper being half opened from a feet side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A sleep garment 10 for enclosing an infant 12 is shown in FIG. 1 in afirst embodiment. The first embodiment of the sleep garment 10 comprisesan insulating sheath 20. The insulating sheath 20 may be made up of anycommonly used textile product that suitably insulates the infant 12 fromthe temperature of air ambient to the infant 12 so as to provide athermal environment inside of the sheath 20 to allow the infant tosafely and comfortably sleep without risking hypothermia orhyperthermia. This sleep garment 10 is configured to have the sheath 20define the mock turtleneck collar 24 to accommodate a head 12 a of theinfant 12. Arm holes 22 a and 22 b accommodate a right arm 12 b and aleft arm 12 c. In other embodiments, other collars 24 as well assleeves, half-sleeves, or enclosed arm warmers are readily substitutedfor the arm holes 22 a and 22 b without impairing the function andutility of the inventive sleep garment 10.

The sheath 20 further defines a slit running laterally from the collar24 closed by a zipper 30. In the preferred embodiment, the zipper 30 isa zipper 30 having two sliders in opposed relation. As is well known inthe art, the bulk of the zipper 30 consists of two strips of fabrictape, each affixed to one of the two edges the sheath 20 defines, and inoperation, are to be joined. The fabric tapes carrying tens or hundredsof specially shaped metal or plastic teeth. These teeth can be eitherindividual or shaped from a continuous coil, and are also referred to aselements. Each slider, as it is operated by hand, moves along the rowsof teeth. Inside the slider is a Y-shaped channel that meshes togetheror separates the opposing rows of teeth, depending on the direction ofits movement. When the opposing sliders are oriented such that theportion of the zipper 30 therebetween is meshed or joined and theportion of the zipper 30 beyond each slider is separated allowing accessthrough the sheath 20. In that manner, the opening the sheath 20 definesis closed entirely when one slider is at each of opposite ends of thezipper 30.

At opposing ends of the zipper 30, the sheath 20 is further configured,in one nonlimiting embodiment, to include keepers which cover thesliders when each are in the extreme positions of the zipper 30. Ahead-end keeper 40 a includes a head-end tab 42 a, itself including asnap 44. In the same manner, a foot-end keeper 40 b includes a foot-endtab 42 b, itself including a snap 42.

Each of the keepers 40 a, 40 b serves multiply to keep the infant safe.First, and importantly, the keepers 40 a, 40 b prevents the infant frommanipulating the respective zipper sliders 50 a, 50 b and opening eitherside of the double-ended zipper 30 which might allow an infant 12 tobecome either entangled or might allow a fold or flap of the wearableblanket 10 to cover the face of the infant 12 risking suffocation.Additionally, the keepers 40 a, 40 b are so configured to prevent theinfant 12 from abrasion-type injury to skin by rubbing up against thezipper sliders 50 a, 50 b. In short, the keepers 40 a, 40 b remove thesliders 50 a, 50 b from the scope of the infant's reach.

In FIG. 2, the sleep garment 10 is shown with a head-end slider 50 a ina midpoint position and a foot-end slider 50 b in the closed position.As is indicated by the infant 12, in phantom, the movement of thehead-end slider 50 a to the midpoint position allows ready insertion ofthe infant 12 into the sheath 20. As the sheath 20 is allowed toseparate at the zipper 30, the infant 12 can readily insert the arms 12b and 12 c into the arm holes 22 a and 22 b respectively.

The use of the double-ended zipper 30 is extremely advantageous. Becausethe double-ended zipper 30 extends from the foot end keeper 40 b to thehead end keeper 40 a, drawing the head end slider 50 a to the foot endkeeper 42 b allows the sheath 20 to be opened to a substantially planarsurface, thereby allowing the easy placement of the infant 12 into thewearable blanket 10 and thereby minimize the risk that the infant 12will awaken or become agitated when the caregiver moves to place theinfant in the wearable blanket 10. Likewise, the changing of the diapercan be readily accomplished by pulling the foot end slider 50 b towardsthe head end keeper 42 a allowing access to the diaper without awakeninga sleeping infant 12 or allowing an irritated infant 12 to struggle freefrom the wearable blanket 10 during the change of the diaper.

In FIG. 3, the wearable blanket 10 is shown with the head end slider 50a in the closed position and the foot-end slider 50 b at the midpointposition. The movement of the foot-end slider 50 b to the midpointposition exposes legs 12 d, 12 e of the infant 12 allowing the readychanging of the diaper or checking the diaper. In many instances, thechange can occur without waking the infant 12 should the infant 12 beasleep or drowsy. Limited exposure of the infant 12 prevents loss ofbody heat that might occur if the infant 12 were fully disrobed.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, as noted above, many changes can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope ofthe invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferredembodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely byreference to the claims that follow:

1. A wearable blanket for covering the legs and torso of an infantcomprising: a sheath of generally planar textile material configured toenvelope the infant in a bag-like manner and defining a head openingincluding a zipper portion extending from substantially a foot end ofthe sheath to a head end of the sheath and at the head end of thesheath, the head opening being bordered by a collar configured toencircle a neck of the infant, the sheath further defining a right armhole configured to encircle and admit a right arm of the infant and aleft arm hole configured to encircle and admit a left arm of the infant;a double ended zipper having a head zipper end affixed to the headopening at the head end of the sheath and a foot zipper end affixed tothe foot end of the head opening at the foot end of the sheath, thezipper being further affixed to corresponding portions of the edge ofthe head hole extending over the zipper portion such that when thezipper is in a fully closed position, pulling a head end zipper sliderto the zipper head end and a foot end zipper slider to the foot enddraws the zipper portion to closure bringing opposing ends of the collargenerally together; and a head end keeper affixed generally at the headend and including a head end tab configured to cover the head end zipperslider when the head end zipper slider is at the zipper head end and afoot end keeper affixed generally at the foot end and including a footend tab configured to cover the foot end zipper slider when the foot endzipper slider is at the zipper foot end.
 2. The wearable blanket ofclaim 1, wherein the left arm hole includes a left sleeve and whereinthe right arm hole includes a right sleeve.
 3. The wearable blanket ofclaim 2, wherein the right sleeve includes a right half-sleeve and theleft sleeve includes a left half-sleeve.
 4. The wearable blanket ofclaim 1, wherein the collar is selected from a group consisting of mockturtleneck, turtleneck, standing or stand-up, turnover, flat or falling.5. The wearable blanket of claim 1, wherein the textile material isselected from a group consisting of flannel, fleece, felt, knit, quiltedfabric, poplin, wool, muslin, corduroy, cotton, polyester, and viscoserayon materials.
 6. The wearable blanket of claim 1, wherein each of thefoot end tab and the head end tabs are secured the zipper slider bymeans of a fastener.
 7. The wearable blanket of claim 6, wherein thefastener is selected from a group consisting of hook and eye, hook andloop, button, toggle, snap, swivel, and buckle.
 8. A method for clothingan infant for sleep, the method including: drawing a sheath of generallyplanar textile material to envelope the infant in a bag-like manner anddefining a head opening including a zipper portion extending fromsubstantially a foot end of the sheath to a head end of the sheath andat the head end of the sheath, the head opening being bordered by acollar configured to encircle a neck of the infant, the drawing furtherincluding inserting of a right arm of the infant into a right arm holeconfigured to encircle and admit the right arm of the infant andincluding inserting a left arm of the infant into a left arm holeconfigured to encircle and admit the left arm of the infant; pulling ahead end zipper slider to a zipper head end and a foot end zipper sliderto a zipper foot end of a double ended zipper to draw the zipper portionto closure bringing opposing ends of the collar generally together, thezipper having a head zipper end affixed to the head opening at the headend of the sheath and a foot zipper end affixed to the foot end of thehead opening at the foot end of the sheath, the zipper being furtheraffixed to corresponding portions of the edge of the head hole extendingover the zipper portion; and fastening a head end keeper affixedgenerally at the head end and including a head end tab such that thehead end tab covers the head end zipper slider; and fastening a foot endkeeper affixed generally at the foot end and including a foot end tabsuch that the foot end tab covers the foot end zipper slider.
 9. Themethod of claim 8 wherein the inserting the left arm into the left armhole includes inserting the left arm into a left sleeve and insertingthe right arm into the right arm hole includes inserting the right arminto a right sleeve.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the right sleeveincludes a right half-sleeve and the left sleeve includes a lefthalf-sleeve.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the collar is selectedfrom a group consisting of mock turtleneck, turtleneck, standing orstand-up, turnover, flat or falling.
 12. The method of claim 8, whereinthe textile material is selected from a group consisting of flannel,fleece, knit, felt, quilted fabric, poplin, muslin, wool, corduroy,cotton, polyester, and viscose rayon materials.
 13. The method of claim8, wherein fastening a fastening a keeper includes closure of afastener.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the fastener is selectedfrom a group consisting of hook and eye, hook and loop, button, toggle,snap, swivel, and buckle.